Three separate callers threatened to bomb Rep. Tom Massey’s home, set it aflame and picket out front after the Poncha Springs lawmaker revealed that he would carry a medical marijuana bill that could close down dispensaries.

Massey wasn’t at home when the calls came in starting Monday. He said his wife called the sheriff’s department, and surveillance has been set up at both his home and at the Capitol.

“My wife being there, she took it seriously,” Massey said. “I would have taken it with a grain of salt.”

Before the governor’s State of the State address, a sniffer dog checked the House chamber. The unusual security measure was a response to the bomb threat against Massey, Capitol security said.

In Poncha Springs, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s office has put a trap on Massey’s phone to identify callers, set up video surveillance and upped patrols through his neighborhood, Sheriff Tim Walker said.

“We take this very seriously,” Walker said. “This medical marijuana issue is definitely making people mad, and it involves a state representative.”

Massey, a Republican, said he assumed the calls were from people tied to medical marijuana dispensaries. A bill that he has yet to introduce with Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, would limit the number of patients on pot provider can serve to five.

Hundreds of dispensaries have cropped up across Colorado since March, and the looming legislation could put many, if not all, out of business.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.